Election Year Holiday Getaways

For all you presidential election junkies out there who just can’t get enough of anything presidential, why not get away from it all and surround yourself with even more presidential stuff? Why not take an election year getaway to some of the top presidential tourist attractions?

Mount Vernon

First up is Mount Vernon, one of America’s most popular historic sites, located approximately 16 miles south of Washington DC. Mount Vernon was the home of George and Martha Washington from 1759 until his death in 1799.

As a visitor to Mount Vernon, you can tour the Mansion and other buildings on the property, as well as explore the various gardens, a 4-acre working farm, the graves of George and Martha Washington, and the Slave Memorial and Burial Ground. . After your tour, be sure to have lunch or dinner at the Mount Vernon Inn restaurant.

Monticello

Monticello, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, was owned by Thomas Jefferson, the main author of the United States Declaration of Independence, as well as the third President of the United States, from 1801 to 1809. The house was designed by Jefferson, who, along with members of his family and their descendants, is also buried on the grounds of the estate.

The guided tour lasts about 30 minutes and goes through the rooms on the first floor of Monticello. Admission to the guided tour also gives you access to the grounds, which include flower gardens, fruit and vegetable orchards, as well as a grove of native trees. While you’re there, be sure to visit the Jefferson Library, which is not far from Monticello and includes an extensive collection of literature related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Lincoln House National Historic Site

What better way to celebrate the upcoming election than to visit the former home of Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s favorite presidents, who served from 1861 to 1865. The Abraham Lincoln Home is located in Springfield, Illinois and is open to guided tours, as it has been restored to its 1860 appearance. Be sure to plan about 2 hours for the tour, which includes displays housed in many homes in the four-block historic “Lincoln Quarter.” These exhibits focus on Lincoln’s family life, as well as life in general in the 19th century. While you’re there, you can also visit Oakridge Cemetery in Springfield, where Lincoln, his wife, and three of his children are buried.

Presidential Libraries

You can also choose to visit some of the many presidential libraries open to the public, such as:

Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum is located midway between New York City and Albany, four miles north of Poughkeepsie.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only US president to serve more than two terms, having been elected to four terms between 1932 and 1945. President Roosevelt died in office while posing for a portrait by artist Elizabeth Shoumatoff. This unfinished Portrait now hangs in Warm Springs, Georgia, in Roosevelt’s former health retreat.

Be sure to visit The Presidential Gallery, located on the main floor of the museum, where you can explore President Roosevelt’s time in office. Exhibits include a video on World War II, along with a recreation of the President’s White House map room. Also on display is the desk the president used during his tenure, as well as his car, a 1936 Ford Phaeton. After your visit, you may want to head to the Culinary Institute of America, located a couple miles south of the museum. , which houses five restaurants open to the public.

Ronald Reagan Library and Museum

The Ronald Reagan Library and Museum is located in Simi Valley, California and includes a full-size recreation of the Oval Office as it appeared during President Reagan’s administration. The museum also includes Air Force One that carried presidents from 1973 to 2001, allowing visitors to board the plane. If you have time, head to the Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda.

Stay where the presidents stay

And finally, for those of you who are interested in all things presidential, you might want to treat yourself to a night or two at a hotel that presidents have also snuggled up for the night. Highlights include the Hotel del Coronado, which has 10 visiting US presidents, including Franklin Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Another hotel is the Hotel Colorado, located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, between Aspen, Vail and Grand Junction. The Hotel Colorado has been visited by presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft, not to mention Al Capone and the unsinkable Molly Brown. Then there’s The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia, which counts as its presidential visitors Calvin Coolidge, Harry S. Truman, Woodrow Wilson, and Ronald Reagan, as well as dozens of non-presidential celebrities.